


Wipe His Tears Away

by Kei_LS



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman Beyond
Genre: Angst, Bits of fluff, Brothers, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Gen, Just about different things, Matt is too, Post-Canon, Secret Identity, Terry is worried, Terry loves his little brother, mentions of Warren McGinnis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-19 23:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8228060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kei_LS/pseuds/Kei_LS
Summary: Matt loves Batman. Matt also loves Terry, even if he is lame. (That didn't mean he ever wanted them to be one and the same.)





	

"What- are you doing up?" Terry asks, startled and recovering quickly when he comes out to see Matt sitting up on the couch in the dark with only the lamp on, a book in his hand. It takes him a second to recover because he hadn't expected to see anyone at all but here Matt is, breaking every kind of rule their mom actually still tries to enforce. "Is it not a school night?" He asks rhetorically, and whatever lecture or bit of humor he'd tried to instill is drained away when Matt actually looks up.  
  
"Matt?" He asks quietly, and he can see Matt swallow, look back down at the book in his hands before he shuts it and clutches it tightly to his chest.  
  
"...I couldn't sleep," Matt whispers, and he _sounds_ like he's been crying. Even if he didn't look miserable and a little scared, Terry would have heard that.  
  
"Why not?" Terry asks, edging closer and fighting the knee-jerk worry and anger that seeing Matt so miserable instills. Matt shrugs, almost listless, but honestly doesn't even have to answer when Terry catches sight of what he's clutching so closely.  
  
Photo album. And if he hadn't shut it Terry would've bet just about anything it had been open to a picture of dad. There's nothing he can say to this, and he hates that most of all, but he goes forward anyway, circling around to kneel in front of Matt. He gently tugs at Matt's hands and isn't at all surprised when the teen- _God, when did you get so big?-_ lunges forward and clutches at him instead.  
  
"Oh, Matty," he whispers, hugging Matt tighter when Matt makes a choked sound into his shoulder. He rubs his back, hugs him closer and tight enough it probably hurts the kid a little bit but Matt just sinks into it gratefully.  "I know. I miss him, too."  
  
"I don't want to lose you," Matt cries, and even though the words are muffled Terry can make them out just fine. It hurts, cuts deep and touches on the things Terry can't afford to talk about, which makes it impossible for him to do anything but cradle him closer.

"I'm not going anywhere, Matty. I'm right here. Shh, I'm right here. It's okay," he soothes, and he has no idea what brought this on - if he was gone too much lately or it's just been slowly building and tonight it's all boiled over, but he isn't even sure it matters. It certainly doesn't right now. "I'm right here, kiddo. Yeah?"  
  
Matt sniffles, nodding hard and digging his fingers into Terry's back until Terry shifts up next to him and tugs the other into his lap, rocking him gently.  
  
"I'm so-"  
  
"Sh," Terry whispers, when Matt tries to pull back, tugging him closer and knowing it's the right move when Matt just lets out another little sob and collapses into him. "It's okay, Matt. Just let it out. I'm here." He loses track of time, which is harder for him to do these days than it sounds like, just holding Matt and letting him cry. "You're okay. Mom's here and I'm here and nothing's happening."  
  
Not nothing's gonna happen. He can't say that anymore. Not without lying through his teeth, and lying directly to his little brother when he's hurting and in tears is not something Terry will _ever_ do. If Matt notices the distinction his only response is to whimper. He doesn't even think about letting go until Matt's gone ten minutes with only a little sniffle, and this time when Matt tries to sit up he lets his arms loosen around the kid, heart clenching in his chest when Matt keeps his head bowed and scrubs over his face.  
  
"Hey," he says softly, smiling when Matt peeks up at him sheepishly, shaking his head and hugging him again. "It's okay. Don't- hey, no," he says, tilting Matt's head up when he looks down. "It's okay. Listen to me, huh? You _ever_ need me for anything- even just to hang around for a while, I'll be there. _Anything_ , Matt." He meets his eyes, waiting for Matt to nod before drawing him back a final time. "Anything at all, any time."  
  
"Even if it's stupid?" Matt asks, voice incredibly small in a way Terry doesn't ever remember hearing before. "Even if there's… something more important?"  
  
"There is _nothing_ more important to me than you, kiddo. And if you need me? It's not stupid. No matter what. I promise." It brings about more tears, but Matt's not _sobbing_ anymore so Terry takes it, rocking him again until Matt's wiping at his eyes and coughing. Terry helps him breathe deep, rubbing his back until Matt's calm again, not looking sheepish but not letting go, looking up from his stare when Terry nudges him.  
  
"Want me to tuck you in?" he asks softly, and Matt blinks a few times before he nods, clutching the photo album as he gets up to his feet, Terry following him into his room and curling up on the bed, huffing softly and tensing up when Terry tucks the blankets in around him. Terry doesn't leave though, sitting on the edge of his bed and rubbing over his back as he turns on the desk lamp in his room and searches for whatever book the kid's reading now.  
  
(He always reads, and of every quirk his little brother has gained the fact that he's a bookworm is still the one that trips Terry up.)  
  
"You'll read to me?" Matt asks, and even though he phrased it like that Terry can hear how hopeful he is about it.  
  
"If you think you can handle me talking your ear off," Terry tells him lightly, already opening it to the bookmarked page. It's not like it's a hardship. He's not dad, but for Matt he'll be the best he can get.

("I love you, kiddo," Terry says softly and kisses his head, when Matt's breathing has been even for an hour, and he's already made the executive decision that Matt can go in to school later, after lunch but not before. Mom will understand.  
  
Matt waits for the door to shut behind him before opening his eyes again, quietly opening the album and looking down at the picture mom had taken of the two of them at the beach, Terry grinning and ruffling Matt's hair. Whispers, "I love you, too."  
  
His brother is Batman. And it's all he can do.)

**Author's Note:**

> Matt's a little genius and no one is going to tell me otherwise. But being a secret secret-keeper will never be easy. Matt's already lost his dad, and it's not like he can't recognize the danger Batman regularly gets into, so I guess I hope I captured that above all else. I hope you found whatever it was you were looking for in this little piece- sad as it is.


End file.
